eszopiclone vs tasimelteon
PlainMeds reviewed this comparison against our methodology in August 2026. It places FDA and CMS record fields side by side, without recommending either medication.
Side-by-side comparison of eszopiclone and tasimelteon. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
Lunesta
Hetlioz
Eszopiclone (Lunesta) is a medicine that helps you fall asleep and stay asleep. It is used to treat insomnia.
Tasimelteon (Hetlioz) is a medicine that helps people with Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder (Non-24) sleep better. It works by acting like melatonin in your body.
Eszopiclone is used to treat insomnia, which means you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. It can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Studies have shown it works for up to 6 months.
Tasimelteon is used to treat Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder (Non-24) in adults. Non-24 is a condition where your body's natural sleep-wake cycle is longer than 24 hours. This medicine can help you sleep better at night.
Eszopiclone works by slowing down activity in your brain. This helps you relax and fall asleep. It affects certain chemicals in your brain that regulate sleep.
Tasimelteon is a melatonin receptor agonist. This means it works like melatonin, a natural hormone in your body that helps regulate sleep. By acting like melatonin, tasimelteon helps to adjust your body's sleep-wake cycle.
- • Unpleasant taste
- • Headache
- • Feeling sleepy
- • Respiratory infection
- • Dizziness
- • Headache
- • Increased liver enzyme (alanine aminotransferase)
- • Nightmares or unusual dreams
- • Upper respiratory tract infection
- • Urinary tract infection
- Insomnia 3,888
- Dysgeusia 3,854
- Nausea 1,382
- Middle Insomnia 1,213
- Fatigue 1,185
- Insomnia 727
- Middle Insomnia 412
- Somnolence 408
- Headache 384
- Nightmare 268
Eszopiclone can cause complex sleep behaviors like sleepwalking, sleep driving, and doing other activities while not fully awake. Some of these can lead to serious injuries or even death. Stop taking eszopiclone right away if this happens.
After taking tasimelteon, limit your activities to getting ready for bed. This medicine can make you sleepy and affect your ability to think clearly.
It is not known if eszopiclone can harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
There isn't enough information about using tasimelteon during pregnancy to know if it's safe. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if tasimelteon passes into breast milk, so discuss breastfeeding with your doctor.
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How to Read This eszopiclone vs tasimelteon Comparison
eszopiclone is classified in the Non-Benzodiazepine Hypnotic (Z-Drug) drug class, while tasimelteon sits within the Melatonin Receptor Agonist class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, eszopiclone has 11,522 submissions while tasimelteon has 2,199. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. No direct interaction between these two drugs is listed in our FDA-derived dataset, though co-prescription still warrants pharmacist review. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for eszopiclone or tasimelteon.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.